I love reading and it's hard for me to pick my favorite books. However, when I started thinking about this post, these where the books that first came to mind.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
If you like strong female protagonists, character development, light-hearted humor, and relationships...Eleanor struggles with social skills and says exactly what she's thinking. Her life completely changes when she meets Raymond, who challenges her and supports her in ways no one has ever done before. Eleanor is profoundly damaged in ways she doesn't even recognize and Raymond helps her comes to terms with that without undermining her strength. I don't know how to explain this book without giving it away, but everyone whom I've recommended this book to agrees: it's impactful, captivating, and really changes you.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
If you like historical fiction, multi-generational stories, American history, and Black history...This story follows two branches of the same family from the early days of African colonization to modern day. Each chapter is one character in each line's generation, which is a bit jarring at first, but allows for the story to be told in beautiful vignettes. You don't get everything up front and as you work through the book, you start piecing everything together without necessarily getting yourself super tangled up. This book had be saying, "Wow!" out loud all day when I finished it.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
If you like philosophy, literature, memoirs, and crying...I'm sure everyone and their mother has read this book. It's a memoir written by a neurosurgeon on the last moments of his life. Wonderfully poignant, Kalanithi contemplates his short life and what he's undeniably leaving behind. Even though the book is at its core very sad, you can't help but find the beauty of Kalanithi's life and legacy through his words and his story. I hope that when I'm faced with death, I can be as observant and as introspective as Kalanithi was.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
If you like contemporary stories, stories dealing with mental illness, dark stories, and feeling everything at once...This book follows four friends through their lives. They all deal with real, complicated shit; however, one character in particular stands out. I rarely ever recommend this book to anyone because it's so hard to read, but it's also very consuming. It has many disturbing passages and it almost makes me feel voyeuristic and intrusive. However, the story is so beautifully told and I am usually drawn to very character-heavy rather than plot-heavy books, and this is definitely one of those.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
If you like fantasy, music, magic, and epic storytelling...this book is one of, if not the best fantasy books ever written. Sure, the A Song of Ice and Fire series is complicated and Lord of the Rings is a classic, but Rothfuss does an amazing job at telling a complicated story without overwhelming the reader. Each book in this series is one of three days where the main character tells you his life story. It's an epic tale, but what really stands out is how Rothfuss writes about music. His writing is beautiful and lyrical, in contrast to the technical fantasy writing you often see. Even if you don't like fantasy, I promise you'll love this book.
What are some of your favorite books of all time? I'm currently reading My Absolute Darling (very similar in themes to A Little Life) and Outliers.
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